Common Injected Meat Tenderizers

Meat tenderizers are a form of enzyme that when applied to meat make it softer and more easier to eat. Tenderizing enzymes come in liquid and powder form, the former is injected into the meat while the latter is sprinkled on the surface. There are two main tenderizers that account for almost 95 percent of the US' tenderizer consumption, papain and bromelain.

Papain

• Papain is one of the three most common meat tenderizers. Papain is collected by scoring papaya fruit and drying the liquid latex which drips out. The latex is further dried and then enters the purifying process. During the purifying process, the active papain enzyme is removed. Once removed, the papain enzyme can be stored as either a liquid or a powder to be used on meat.

Bromelain

• Bromelain is gathered from either the root or trunk of pineapple trees after the pineapples harvest. The root or stump is then peeled and crushed, forcing out the bromelain which at this point is still a solute. The active bromelain enzyme is later removed from this solution via process of precipitation. Once isolated, bromelain is dried and supplied as a powder.

Ficain

• Ficain, also known as ficin, is an enzyme extracted from fig latex in a similar process to papain. It is the least popular of the three main meat tenderizers but has widespread use across several industries, including beverage production, baking and even contact lens cleaning.